Lyrks
Lyrks
Lyrks
Cover Art

Bitter Withy Lyrics by John Tams

The Reckoning

0

As it fell out one high holiday
Small hail from the heaven did fall
Our saviour asked his mother Mary mild
If he might go and play at the ball
At the ball, at the ball my own dear son
It's time that you were gone
But don't let me hear of any misdoings
At night when you come home
Then it's up the hill and down the hill
Our sweet young saviours's run
And there he spied three rich young lords
All playing in the sun
Good morn, good morn, good morn said they
Good morning all said he
Now which of you three rich young lords
Is going to play at the ball with me
But we're all lords' and ladies' sons
Born in our bower and hall
And you aren't nothing but a poor maid's child
Born in an ox's stall
But if you're all lords' and ladies' sons
All born in your bower and hall
I'll make you believe in your lattery end
I'm an angel above you all
So he built him a bridge from the beams of the sun
And over the river ran he
And these rich young lords followed after him
And drowned they were all three
Then it's up the hill and down the hill
These rich lord's mother run
Crying Mary mild - fetch home you child
For ours he has drown'd each one
And so Mary mild fetched home her child
And she put him all across of her knee
And it's with a handful of green withy twigs
She's gave him lashes three
Oh the bitter withy - the bitter withy
Thou causest me to smart
And the withy shall be the very tree
To perish at the heart
Credits
John Tams

John Tams

About “Bitter Withy” by John Tams

Read the complete lyrics to "Bitter Withy" by John Tams from the album "The Reckoning". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Rock.

"Bitter Withy" is performed by John Tams. from the album "The Reckoning" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Bitter Withy", explore more songs by John Tams using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for John Tams · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"Bitter Withy" is credited to John Tams. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Bitter Withy" appears on "The Reckoning".

Visit the John Tams artist page at /artist/john-tams for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.